Tasty recipes from chef Ronit Penso's kitchen

BLT Sandwich and Salad

BLT stands for Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato, which are placed between two slices of toasted white bread spread with mayonnaise. It is one of the most popular American sandwiches, and by now is known in many other countries as well. The very simple combination of the main ingredients works so well together, with the saltiness of the bacon, slight acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes and the fresh and crisp lettuce.
However, too often this sandwich is made with stale commercial bread, lesser quality bacon, inferior tomatoes, that were cut in advance and kept in the fridge, far from fresh lettuce, and with too much mayonnaise on both sides of the bread.
The best way to avoid such poorly executed BLT sandwiches is to prepare them at home, according to one’s liking, and enjoy this tasty sandwich fully.
Here is my version of this sandwich, along with a salad based on the same ingredients. Both making use of summer vine ripened tomatoes and very fresh lettuce, with an addition of endive in the sandwich, and fruity Balsamic vinaigrette in the salad. Try one or both and enjoy.

Notes:
* For best results, use good quality bacon. My personal preference it so cook it in the oven, until it’s on the verge of almost burnt and very crispy, drain the fat (keep it for making cornbread, recipe for which can be foundHERE) and place on paper towels to absorb extra fat.
* While most BLT sandwiches use crispy iceberg lettuce, I prefer to use more flavorful types of lettuce: Romaine lettuce for the sandwich and Boston lettuce for the salad.
* Fresh vine ripened tomatoes that were not refrigerated are a must here. While most call for adding the lettuce first, I prefer to place the tomatoes over the bread, so that it will absorb the juices better. This, however, means that the sandwich is to be eaten very soon after assembling.
* I used Kaiser roll for the sandwich, but any other type of bread can be used instead.

BLT SandwichMakes: 1-2

Lightly toast 1 Kaiser roll cut in half. Spread thin amount of mayonnaise on both sides. Add sliced ripe tomatoes (see notes) and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a layer of washed and dried romaine lettuce and endive (optional) and top with a generous amount of very crispy bacon (see notes). Serve immediately.

BLT SaladMakes: 4

The vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbs aged Balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbs Balsamic pear vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper. Whisk in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, to create a smooth and thick vinaigrette.The salad: arrange a layer of washed and dried Boston lettuce leaves on a large serving plate. Arrange slices of ripe tomatoes on top and scatter thinly sliced ½ shallot. Add a generous amount of crumbled crispy bacon (see notes) on top. Drizzle some of the balsamic vinaigrette on top and serve immediately, with lightly toasted crusty bread and the rest of the vinaigrette on the side.

The only sandwich I will make in a year. They truly are magical if made well. This is one case where I prefer the crunchiness of iceberg lettuce. Just don’t tell anyone. Have you had Kewpie mayonnaise?

I agree that iceberg lettuce is crispier, but I find it so anemic in flavor, that I hardly use it. I love adding endive for crunchiness and extra flavor instead.
I tried Kewpie mayonnaise and liked it, but old habits die hard, and when I don’t make my own, I always go back to Hellman’s… 🙂

I guess I just like the crunchiness without flavor, cause you’re right. I finally bought some Kewpie cause I kept seeing it, and in fact had it on my BLT i made recently. Really good! I don’t think it’s sold in 32 ounce containers, at least not on Amazon, so I have Kewpie and Hellman’s!

I cook up 3/4 of a pound of bacon at one time for use during the next week or two, so this sandwich should be easily tossed together. One of these days I will spring for one of those cute little endives. Not clear what they taste like, but would probably add a treat to our usual Romaine/tomato/avocado/artichoke lunch salad.

For best results, I would suggest to make the sandwich when the bacon is freshly cooked.
Endive has a nice crisp, slightly bitter, flavor, which I’m very fond of. When buying, make sure to chose only pale yellow ones. If they’re green, it means they were exposed to light and will be overly bitter.

Those beautiful tomatoes look awesome, Ronit I cannot remember the last time I had a BLT ..Since I have lived here methinks and that is a few years but now I am fancying one after seeing your beautiful images 🙂

Oh my favorite too! And what a difference the right ingredients make eh? You’re absolutely spot on! Love cooking bacon in the oven too, it renders it extra crisp. How do you lay yours in the oven? On a tray?

Thank you Loretta, I’m glad you liked my version. Using good and fresh ingredients indeed makes such a difference.
As for the bacon, I use a tray and just let it render to very crisp, almost on the verge of burnt.